On 28 October an excited bunch of folk gathered to celebrate the 90th birthday of the fabulous Win Palmer.
Friends and family of all ages filled the church hall and spilled outside, enjoying afternoon tea to accompany musical items and speeches. Andrew Heron spoke and Win’s son Andrew Palmer said a few words too, as well as performing some musical numbers, along with daughter Ella and sister Emma.
“I spoke about Mum and her influence and passions, especially the way she imprinted kindness on us, which I’m really thankful for”,. Andrew told me and said “It’s actually really rare for our extended family to come together”. On this special occasion ‘extended family’ included not only all three of Win’s children – Jane, Emma and Andrew – and their partners, and adopted son David and his partner Kerryn, but also Win’s grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the children of her late sister Betty, for whom Win has played an important maternal role.
“People said such nice things about me”, Win said. “It was a tremendous party and people were so giving. Everybody talked to everybody else”. She told me someone had commented they’d had no idea there was such a community feeling in the village, which there is, but I think an extra dollop of it came through for Win: it was a room full of warmth and friendliness and generosity, just like Win.
A former nurse and nursing educator, Win is better known in the Valley as an active member of the Church of the Good Shepherd congregation and as former editor of this newspaper, not to mention as a long-running member of writing/reading and Bible study groups and as beloved part-timer at the Halycon Bookshop. And, of course, as the owner of the vocally expressive Poodle-cross Ruby. You’ll have seen her, walking with Ruby around the oval, or down to the post office, or chatting to a friend or fellow dog-walker near the Hampden Deli and pharmacy.
The good times of the party continued into the evening, when a smorgasbord dinner was served: a delicious game pie, made by Win herself (including pastry!), and potatoes roasted in duck fat, along with a selection of barbecue meats and salads contributed by family and guests. “Yes, my family are quite talented”, Win said when I mentioned the musical items they’d played, extending the set at short notice when some musician guests had to suddenly leave for hospital. “They cooked the food and provided the entertainment.”
When the cakes were brought out, everyone gathered and sang a robust chorus of ‘Happy birthday’, then mingled once again, enjoying cake, champagne and a sumptuous fruit platter. I hadn’t been able to convince Win to read one of her terrific nonsense poems. But she’s let me include one here — enjoy!
Win stayed until the very end, with Ruby by her side, making the most of it. “I reached 90 and I survived it!” she joked to me later, and confessed “Turning 90 was a bonus, especially given how I felt earlier in the year. I’ve always looked forward to being this age.”
I won’t wish another 90 years on you, Win — just as many happy returns as you’d like — and I very much hope there’s room in your busy future life for us to share many more cups of tea and chats.
